Getting help from an athletic trainer or yoga instructor

Your yoga-with-weights workout can benefit from the help of an athletic trainer (also called a personal trainer). As little as an hour or two of instruction from a trainer can teach you the basics of weight training and show you the basic postures, even if the trainer doesn't have a background in yoga. The trainer can show you how to lift weights so you get a good workout without injuring yourself.

Similarly, a yoga instructor can help you with the basic yoga poses, even if he or she hasn't been trained in yoga with weights. Some poses we include in the exercises in this book, such as the warrior (shown in the Warrior I; Chapter 8), the downward-facing dog (shown in the Dog to Plank; Chapters 8 and 10), and the tree (shown in the Tree; Chapter 11), come straight from traditional yoga practices.

We recommend finding a certified and experienced yoga instructor, but if you can't find one, don't fret. Any high-quality yoga class that inspires you will help with your yoga-with-weights exercises because you discover the basics of aligning your body and breathing. When you go home to practice the exercises in this book, you'll have a better understanding of yoga mechanics.

Don't hesitate to show this book to your yoga instructor. If he or she is adventurous, your instructor may take an interest in yoga with weights. Yoga and fitness instructors often look for new, worthwhile exercise techniques that they can fold into their repertoires. If your instructor decides to take on yoga with weights, you may be able to come along for the ride. Who knows? Maybe you'll get a "finder's fee" and not have to pay for your lessons.